THOUGHTS ON

“ FISH STORIES ”

    Who does not love a good story? What manner of person does not enjoy some wonderful exploit or remarkable occurrence told to pass the time or in the spirit of adventure? On the face of it, one may think not a one. Yet, an interesting facet of the fish story, unlike most class of tales, comes not from its propensity to entertain but, to no small degree— annoy. To be fair, the fish story does do both. But, in my humble opinion, the fish story does one far better than any other brand of stories.
    However, for the full effect, certain conditions really should be met. It is best if listeners are in a position without any easily accessible escape routes. Likewise, if such a story could be spun by one with a personal connection to the audience, such as an obnoxious uncle, this would go a long way to completing the experience. While the tales herein are excellent stories, and well worth reading, they may only serve to entertain. Accordingly, readers are unfortunately deprived of the opportunity of being unduly pestered and forced to listen. Consequently, while eyes may roll at our collection, it is unlikely if any debris will be hurled at a pricey monitor screen, and any resounding “boos” will only fall on deaf computer ears.
    Nevertheless, there is hope that this collection, one of the only for ‘big’ or ‘tall’ fish stories in existence, might arise within readers the spontaneous urge to renewed this cherished tradition. So the next time you decide to try your luck with bait and tackle remember this—the catch is only as small as your story and what occurred as convoluted as your imagination.